Being a kid can be challenging especially when you don’t fit in the crowd. When I was in middle school I remember two brothers who were misfits. They were the kids you did not want to be seen with. They didn’t fit the “cool kid” category.

To be one of the “cool kids” meant you had money, stylish cloths, and you had it all together…. so we thought.

These two brothers came from poverty and were lucky to have hand- me -downs from other family members. The mean kids would laugh at their misfortunes and call them names.

Sadly, I too was guilty of just standing by and watching. I didn’t understand why I was so callous toward them. I guess I didn’t really care to understand at that age, I was just following the crowd.

The younger brother had a mild learning disability so he was slow in his speech. The kids would mock him and aggravate him.

The older brother would try to protect him and he would get into confrontations. He knew his brother could not defend himself.

I look back now and I admire the older brother for what he did. While everyone was against them, he still stood his ground. I thought to myself, “why was I so uncaring toward these kids? They never did anything to me.”

I came to the conclusion that I was more worried about what the “cool kids” were thinking. I wanted to fit in with the crowd. I did not have enough confidence in myself to be who I wanted to be. I knew if I went against the grain, I too would be ostracized.

We as Christians still do that today, we are challenged by our peers and lack the confidence to stand up for what we believe in and who we are. When we measure ourselves up to other humans or society we will always fall short.

In Romans 12:2 it reads “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

We as Christians, will be rejected by others, as Jesus was rejected by the Jews. We were never meant to fit in this world, we were meant to stand out.

I’m not sure what became of the two brothers, but they left a lasting impression on my life today. There will be times that we will have to suffer the mocks and hatred from society but we can stand up for what we have faith in and be assured in who we are in Jesus.

John 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

There are so many people that are struggling to feel accepted in this world. It’s a losing battle. Introduce them to Jesus. He will never let you down.